Retaining Fandom

At a recent panel at the Japan Society, Lawrence defined otaku as an anime fan who is part of a social network devoted to the subject. This network is a defining aspect of otaku and thus isolation behavior like hikikomori, which seems superficially similar, is actually quite different and distant. By this metric, I can precisely set the amount of time l have been an otaku at a few months shy of 11 years. This definition also allows me to more precisely define the people I know who have deserted their previous otaku affiliation and sets the number at somewhat larger than I originally considered. (Mostly because I'd only previously considered people who abandoned the field in college.)

I have often wondered why it is that more than a decade later, I remain a dedicated otaku whereas so many other people I know of have defected. Lawrence's definition makes the reason remarkably clear; the network is everything. It is really no surprise that as I have remained an otaku, so has my circle of otaku friends, despite passing through several major life-changing mileposts such as the transition to full time employment, marriage. and childbirth. So then the real question is, how has our otaku network from CJAS endured and maintained its intensity?

The influence of IRC is one obvious starting point. Having a kind of 24h shared living room with global reach is a powerful stabilizing force. Something very different than what can be had through one-to-one channels like phone or IM. However, the mere presence of IRC alone is not enough. There is something peculiar about the way we use this medium. We use IRC precisely like a living room, perhaps even the living room at F1 in particular. However, that is not the dominant or even normal use of the technology in the broader context of Internet usage. Our IRC is very personal with its own social customs. It is not only designed to connect people who are already connected in real life, but also to perpetuate the type of interaction they have when physically colocated.

Virtual association is also not the only factor. Organizing annual or semiannual gatherings would also be a factor. But there is also something peculiar about the way these events go. In reunion-type activities, the time is often filled with a lot of catching-up and reminiscing. Our gatherings usually entail primarily new exploration and activities and very little "relinking". More like a weekend gathering of nearby friends similar to when I do stuff with Rourke and Jen. Obviously IRC has a lot to do with it, but I am surprised and intruigued (although perhaps I shouldn't) that upon resyncing IRL, we find that our virtual windows into each others circumstances are mostly both accurate and complete.

One thing that seems to be the case is that this situation of persistent and long-lived cohesion is somewhat rare , and that I, from an insider's perspective, find it extremely valuable. It's hard to imagine living without it. I have some idea of how it came to be about and see how there was a very lucky confluence of events and personalities. Thinking about this topic leads to the question of how such enduring networks can be created. Can what was discovered by luck be re-created through skill? How important is the group's common-activity based root? What about other contexts like work or shared affilitation (like school alumni or neighborhoods)?